Why one model is choosing to share photos of her cellulite

Charli Howard
Charli Howard is a co-founder of the All Woman project [Photo: charlihoward/Instagram]

Ashley Graham has been applauded for sharing untouched snaps of herself, cellulite and all, to prove just how normal it is.

And it’ll take more than one woman – especially high-profile women – to get it into our heads that it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Which is why it’s important that model Charli Howard – who’s called out the modelling industry in the past – is defiantly sharing photos of her cellulite to change people’s perceptions of beauty.

A few days ago, Howard re-posted a photo of herself from behind with a strong message about cellulite, stretch marks and perfection.

They say do something each day that scares you, so re-posting this is mine for the day. Despite the fact I speed walk everywhere, squat, run and occasionally do @pure_barre, I'm still left with cellulite. I went to an all-girls' boarding school and really used to envy the girls in my class who seemingly had none, and whose bodies looked, to me, nothing less than perfect. Whenever I opened magazines, the models and celebrities I saw didn't have cellulite either – and if they did, they were shamed in the tabloids because of it, or knocked off their perch by nasty journalists who probably have it themselves. (Note: fuck you.) As a result, I felt like my cellulite was shameful, or an oddity. It wasn't until I got older and saw other women's bodies that I realised HOW BLOODY NATURAL IT IS. ✔️ It's nothing to be ashamed of. Your boyfriend isn't gonna care if you have it, and if he does, dump him for his mate. ???????? Just kidding (or am I?). Don't get me wrong – my cellulite isn't my favourite part of my body, nor is it something I shout from the rooftops about. But I know it doesn't make me any less ugly, or is something I need to feel embarrassed about. ✖️ So don't let it make you feel that way, either! In the words of my old pal Kendrick Lamar, "Show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks" ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? #iamallwoman @allwomanproject @heatherhazzan

A post shared by Charli Howard (@charlihoward) on Apr 9, 2017 at 12:49pm PDT

“They say do something each day that scares you, so re-posting this is mine for the day,” she wrote.

“Despite the fact I speed walk everywhere, squat, run and occasionally do @pure_barre, I’m still left with cellulite.”

She then describes how going to an all-girls’ boarding school; how she was envious of girls whose bodies had “seemingly” no cellulite and that how as she looked at magazines, she didn’t spot it either (unless pointed out in tabloids).

“As a result, I felt like my cellulite was shameful, or an oddity,” she explained.

“It wasn’t until I got older and saw other women’s bodies that I realised HOW BLOODY NATURAL IT IS.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Your boyfriend isn’t gonna care if you have it, and if he does, dump him for his mate.

“Just kidding (or am I?).

“Don’t get me wrong – my cellulite isn’t my favourite part of my body, nor is it something I shout from the rooftops about.

“But I know it doesn’t make me any less ugly, or is something I need to feel embarrassed about.

“So don’t let it make you feel that way, either! In the words of my old pal Kendrick Lamar, ‘Show me something natural like ass with some stretch marks’.”

The post has been liked almost 5,000 times since, with her fans leaving words of agreement and support in the comments section.

One wrote: “Thank you SO much for this!!!!!” while others have shared stories of their own:

“I’ve had it since I was about 12, and like you felt it was something to be ashamed of when I was a teenager,” said another commenter.

“It’s just part of my body now, thank you for sharing.”

Thank you for sharing indeed, Howard.

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